[1] Tallon was born to Irish immigrants in New York City and joined the religious life in Indiana despite the protests of her family.

From 1879 she felt a strong call to enter the religious life as a sister despite the protests of her mother and siblings who did not approve of her decision.

[2] Regardless of their opinion she joined the Holy Cross Sisters on 30 April 1887 and resided with the order at their convent until 1920 after the conclusion of World War I.

[1] Tallon founded the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate in New York on 15 August 1920 – an order that now operates in Nigeria and the Philippines.

Tallon suffered from disabling illnesses in the final two decades of her life and she hid the fact that she was sick though a few of her colleagues knew of this.